Things Left Behind
by guyinthecap
Summary: There's no guarantee you'll be the same when you emerge.


" _You have an important decision, Ms. Nikos. There's no telling if this transfer will work, and there's no guarantee you will be the same person if it does. I suggest you take the time to think about this matter"._

Pyrrha leaned back, resting her head against the padding. The capsule snapped closed with a muffled weight that made her feel as though she was being entombed. The dark, cold space seemed to cling to her skin, stripping her of her courage and sending her pulse skyrocketing.

"Please try to remain calm, Ms. Nikos" Ozpin reassured. "Try to focus on something calming, perhaps your friends" he offered.

Her friends, yes, in a happier place. Anywhere but here.

She had asked them what they thought about this whole thing. Not directly of course, the situation demanded secrecy. "Just another layer of separation" she resigned. But she _had_ asked them. Given the choice, would they choose great power and responsibility over themselves? What would they think of her? It was Nora who had spoken first, as was so often the case.

"Well I guess it depends on the power. If it was something _super awesome_ like turning into a giant monster, or controlling the weather, or being able to fly, that'd be pretty cool! But if I wasn't me, maybe it wouldn't be so cool".

Ren was the next to speak. He had been sitting on his bed, meditating when she had entered. Even after posing her mysterious question, her pensive teammate was as unreadable as ever.

"If it was to help the people, my path would be clear. We all applied to Beacon to protect the world, and if I had to change to do that, then I would change. It's our responsibility."

Pyrrha gazed over at her partner. Reserved wasn't a word that Pyrrha would typically use to describe Jaune, especially around his team. So it bothered her that he hadn't looked at her since she had asked her question. Instead he appeared to be locked in thought, gazing at his desktop over interlaced hands. Just before she was about to say something, however, he stirred.

"It is our job to protect others. And I know better than anyone that becoming a hero means changing who you once were into something stronger. But I'm not sure I would give up what makes me _me_ in the process" he said quietly, leveling his gaze at her.

"I see" she said cautiously, before another pregnant pause seemed to swell between them all.

"I'm sorry if that's not the answer you were looking for" Jaune continued. "But the truth is I don't know what the right answer is. I guess all you can do is try your hardest, and hope for the best" he said, offering her a half smile.

Hope for the best. Seemed like as good a plan as any. The machinery below her had quieted down since their initial startup, and had mellowed into an alluring drone. The deep humming seemed to call her, and as her eyes grew heavy, the feeling of the cold dry air and the confinement of the capsule seemed to fade away as she fell into darkness.

It had been three days since Ms. Nikos had entered the capsule. Ozpin had been assured that the process was lengthy, and required a delicate approach, but they were simply running out of time. Had the General not assured him that the process was nearly complete, he would have pulled her out after the second night, for fear that she would falter from exhaustion. Beside him, the young Mr. Arc shifted back and forth on his feet, rocking in place as though to physically shake off his concerns. Student or not, no one was ready to see their partner, their friend, in such a nebulous state. It may have been better to credit Ms. Nikos' absence to the numerous excuses he had prepared incase things took an unexpected turn, however in the end he resigned to the fact that her team deserved to know the truth, at least part of it.

"Professor, I don't understand. Whatever you're doing…she should have been out by now, right? What if something is wrong?" The young Huntsmen-in-training seemd on the verge of all out pacing as he gazed up at Ozpin, silently begging for answers.

"Jaune, we're doing everything we can to protect Ms. Nikos. But much of this is unprecedented. None of us are sure of what exactly is going to happen". There was audible break before he began anew. "You have to accept that there is a possibility that Pyrrha may be…different when she emerges. She may be confused, or weak, and she will almost certainly need some time to recover. What is important is that you and your team are there for her".

"But she'll still remember us, right? After all, we've…"

Both their gazes were drawn quickly to the machinery as the ambient roar of processors and heat sinks fell into silence, and the latch on the second capsule abruptly clicked open. As it was raised to a standing position, Ozpin caught a glimpse of the girl he had cornered through the viewport. As her face stirred, eyes still closed, he couldn't tear his gaze away from what he had done.

The world was dark and quiet. Too quiet. The humming had stopped and everything felt eerily still. However this didn't last long, and her dark cocoon seemed to rip itself open, flooding her with a rush of hot, dry air. For a moment she was disoriented by the warmth as all of her senses screamed to process her new surroundings. After the noises had stopped, she finally opened her eyes.

There were people in front of her. The first was a tall man in a dark suit with glasses and shock-white hair. The other was a boy with blonde hair and white pieces of armor scattered over his person. Both of these people were staring at her. Waiting for her to make the first move. She leaned forward, gently testing her weight on her aching legs as she stepped from her resting place and onto the stone floor. Rising tall, she met both their eyes.

"Hello there" she said in a sing-song voice.

The room itself seemed to exhale as the unspoken taboo between the three was broken. The younger man was the first to speak. He called out a word, but it didn't sound right. Maybe it was someplace, or something, but she couldn't place the name. Next the older man spoke. "How are you feeling?" he said, calmly.

"I feel very tired" she said, as the feeling of her aches seemed to weigh her down to the spot.

"It's alright, you've been through a lot recently. But your ordeal is over". She didn't know why but she felt like what he was saying was true. He seemed familiar, a constant. Maybe he was a mentor, or someone important, but she couldn't find the answer right then. Her attention then turned to the other boy.

"Hi" he said, still looking unsure. "Do you remember me?"

She searched her mind for something, anything that reminded her of him. The slight tattered jeans, the messy blonde hair, she turned it all over in her mind. But nothing sparked.

"I'm sorry, I'm still a little foggy. I'm afraid not". The boy seemed to deflate where he stood. His face didn't change, but he clearly wasn't anticipating whatever he was looking for anymore. Maybe this was worth investigating.

"Are you important to me?" she said. The boy chuckled.

"Depends on how modest I'm feeling, I guess", he said as he struggled to hide his face. Tears welling up in his eyes as his gaze drifted to the floor.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. "Why are you crying?"

"It's fine. It's just…one of my friends left a little while ago. I still miss her".

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that" she said quietly. "Is she coming back?"

"I don't know" he said, finally smiling at her. "I guess we'll find out".

At that moment the older man appeared, resting his hand on my shoulder as he started to guide me down the hall. "In the mean time, perhaps it's best if we show you to your room. You've been through quite enough today, and I'm sure you could use some rest. Some of your friends are already waiting for you there.

"That sounds marvelous" she said, reinvigorated. "I can't wait to meet them!"

"You may find you already know some of them" he replied.

"Maybe, Professor" she answered cheerfully.

As the two continued towards the exit, the young boy remained where he stood.

 _Tip. Tap. Tip._

The regular drip of tears on the stone floor punctuated his staccato breath. As more of his control crumbled and he fought back the sobs, Jaune's hands balled into fists.

"Maybe"


End file.
